Black Male Caregivers: A Game Changer

Black caregivers are not easy to come by in professional settings. According to Mental Health America, only 14% of caregivers in the United States are Black—over four times fewer than white caregivers (61%). Around 60% of this number are females while males are about 40%. Consequently, only a small fraction of those who seek Black male caregivers will have access to them.

Diane Mariani who oversees the Caring for Caregivers program at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago said there is a strong bond between caregivers and the older people they care for. According to her, old people tend to have “fewer hospital stays, and shorter lengths of stay that are spent in hospital” when their caregiver is less anxious or depressed.

While the majority of caregivers feel it is the “right” thing to do, Black caregivers often see it as an expected part of their life, a sort of cultural expectation that is handed from one generation to another.

Therefore, while white caregivers perform their role out of a feeling of personal responsibility, Black caregivers see it as almost a norm—which is what makes the difference to how they feel about their role, and by extension, how they make their patients feel.

The challenges faced by Black male caregivers

Black male caregivers face unique challenges their white counterparts don’t. Firstly, due to several factors, including genetics and poor nutrition, Black men are more susceptible to diseases like type 2 diabetes. A study published in JAMA in 2017 said Black adults are nearly twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes compared to whites.

Black male caregivers are also more likely to be unmarried compared to caregivers of other racial groups and are more likely to be taking care of someone all alone. The plights of Black male caregivers are worsened by negative public perception and systemic racism, including police brutality.

Therefore, Black male caregivers will sooner or later need care too—preferably from a Black male caregiver, especially if they have no families. However, the severe shortage of caregivers means they will face more challenges getting care.

In March 2024, the American Health Care Association surveyed hundreds of nursing home providers. They discovered that almost all of them had open jobs which they are still struggling to fill.

The U.S. Census Bureau said around 20% of the U.S. population will be 65 or older by 2030. Caregiver shortage is expected to get worse as the aging population grows.

Why we need more Black male caregivers

A 2020 study said Black caregivers are “more likely to report gains and less likely to report emotional difficulty than whites”. In other words, Black caregivers are usually ready to go the extra mile to improve the situation of their patients, mostly because they see it as an obligation rather than a paid-job-career like their white counterparts.

1. Black seniors are more likely to seek Black caregivers

Lower wages and distrust of the system due to decades of racism are some of the reasons why reliance on unpaid family caregiving is high in Black communities. According to the CDC, 50% of caregivers assist with personal care—including bathing and lifting them.

Culix Wibonele, a caregiver originally from Kenya but working as a certified nursing assistant in Atlanta in 2014, had to lift patients who were often bigger than her, often leaving her with body aches. Black male caregivers would likely find it easier to lift heavier patients than their female counterparts.

2. Matching male caregiver to male patients

The shortage of Black male caregivers means female caregivers are sometimes tasked with providing personal care to older male patients, including bathing them. Not every senior male may feel comfortable having a female caregiver bathe them. Some may even consider it an abuse to either the senior or the caregiver. Having more Black male caregivers in the system will prevent such circumstances.

3. Black male caregivers are prepared physically and mentally

Providing care is not always rosy, especially when you are working with patients suffering from dementia. They can get agitated and sometimes inflict bodily harm on the caregiver. That was the case of Wibonele who was injured by an agitated facility resident. The injury caused her lasting migraines.

Black male caregivers can leverage their strength to transfer a patient from the bed to the wheelchair to a shower seat, a task that many Black female caregivers have bitterly complained about.

Males in most Black communities are subconsciously conditioned to step into the role of caregiving at some point in their lives. Without knowing it, they unconsciously start preparing themselves mentally for the challenging tasks. This makes them the perfect candidate for caregiving roles.

Elevate Black Health urges hiring managers to reach out to adult males in Black communities to fill the shortfall in the caregiving industry. Since they mostly play the caregiving role for free, they would likely be delighted to get paid for it.

Finally, to keep caregivers for longer within the industry, it is paramount for care homes to compensate their staff properly. To learn more about becoming a caregiver, check our post on becoming a caregiver to an aging parent for insights.

For more reading

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/05/21/1252701335/caregiving-black-men-dementia-stress